Today on the 4th of July, community members in Santa Cruz brought messages of peace, justice, and equality to Ocean Street as they greeted visitors entering town for the busy holiday. Every year a variety of groups working on peace and justice issues rally along Ocean Street as thousands of people make their way to the beach and the Boardwalk. Although some very serious statements were communicated by those holding signs at the rally today, the atmosphere was generally fun and festive, and th...

The National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies Annual Conference took place in San Francisco from April 15-18, 2015. The business meeting, open to all members, took place on Saturday evening at the close of the conference. At the business meeting, the membership gave unanimous support to the Resolution to Support the Boycott of Israeli Academic Institutions. In addition, individual FOCOS (regional caucuses) and interest group Caucuses all voted to support the resolution.

On Tuesday, March 24th, at 7PM the Santa Cruz City Council will reconsider the purchase of a BearCat Armored Vehicle for the Santa Cruz Police Department, and a proposed policy of use if the vehicle is received.

On Tuesday night, the Santa Cruz City Council will revisit issues surrounding the council's decision in December to approve the police purchase of a $250,000 Lenco BearCat (Ballistic Engineered Armored Response Counter Attack Truck) with Department of Homeland Security grant funds. The BearCat is on the council's March 24 agenda and will be addressed at 7pm. The agenda report for the meeting states that the vehicle's use policy will be discussed, as well as a proposal to clarify the process o...

6pm: Rally in the Courtyard of City Hall
7pm: City Council Meeting
City Hall
809 Center Street, Santa Cruz
Overflow seating for the City Council meeting will be available at:
Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
307 Church Street, Santa Cruz

In a letter dated March 10th, 2015, Congressman Sam Farr questioned the process of the Santa Cruz City Council and Police Department in their rushed purchase of a Lenco BearCat, an armored personnel carrier.

The Democratic Central Committee (DCC) of SC County has rejected the militarization of local law enforcement and is calling for a new action by Santa Cruz City Council on the BearCat and grants procedures.

Activists organizing to oppose the police purchase of a $250,000 Lenco BearCat (Ballistic Engineered Armored Response Counter Attack Truck) postponed a rally scheduled to occur during today's Santa Cruz City Council meeting. Members of SCRAM! (Santa Cruz Resistance Against Militarization) changed plans when they found out the Santa Cruz Police Department officers who were killed in 2013 might be honored at the same time as their rally. [Photo: Harry Meserve of SCRAM! speaks to council members.]

February 10 marked the fourth consecutive Santa Cruz City Council meeting where residents have protested the police purchase of a $250,000 BearCat (Ballistic Engineered Armored Response Counter Attack Truck) funded by two Department of Homeland Security grants. As with the previous protests, community members again rallied in the City Hall courtyard and entered Tuesday's council meeting as a group to speak out against the purchase of the armored attack-style vehicle during the open communicat...